(Please e-mail me with any news items about Akron area players, or photos at nettadave(removethis)@yahoo.com)

Youtube Video clip shows some highlights from a 2010 club match with S.Kumar in Dave's Middletown, CT club. He also Directs and coaches at another club in Fairfield CT near NYC.

Akron/Canton area star and Ohio Champion Samson Dubina had a lead before failing to stop a comeback that crowned 15 year old Michael Landers of New York US Men's Singles Champion in the surprise finals of the 2009 US Nationals in Las Vegas.

The two put on an impressive 7 game contest, after the surprise withdrawal of 6 veteran players including a couple past US Champs in the quarter-finals in a last minute attempt to force tournament organizers to increase the prize money.

While area players might have hoped for a hometown US champion, Lander's age, making him the youngest US Champion since former World Top 20 ranked fellow New Yorker Eric Boggan decades earlier, gained favorable national attention for Michael, and for our sport on National TV programs and other prominent media, including the NY Times - Landers 'hometown' newspaper. Congratulations to Samson for this, and his previous participation as a member of the US Men's Team.

Samson now lives in Akron and is active coaching players at area clubs and in a home Table Tennis studio. If interested, contact Samson at hammondproking@aol.com or 330-949-9230

State of Ohio Senior Olympic Games

Article courtesy of Dayton TTC / Butterfly Online
August 15, 2008

Akron area's Taylor and Weingart score multiple medals in Ohio Senior Games Events in Dayton

State of Ohio Senior Olympic Games Venue

By John Dichiaro

August 2, 2008 - 2008 is a qualifying year for the Senior Olympic Games, one in which each state determines its senior champions in age groups from 50-54 on up in multiples of 5 years in a variety of sporting events . Those finishing in first, second or third place, qualify for the National Senior Olympic Games to be played in San Francisco in August 2009. Ohio held their 2008 Senior Olympics in the Dayton Ohio Area using the spacious Nutter Center’s Main Arena for table tennis, a venue used by Wright State University for their basketball games.

The 60-player table tennis field was divided into round-robin, split round-robin or double elimination groups, depending on the number of entries for each age group. Round robin groups were held for 4 or 5 entries, split RR’s for 6, and double elimination for 9 or more entries. Events were scheduled for men’s and women’s in the 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, 85-89 and 90-94 age groups. Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles were held for each age group for which there were entrants. It was a one day and lots of play event with the older groups starting off in the morning. Play was held on 15 Butterfly Tables using Butterfly Barriers and Balls. The Ohio Sr. Olympics thanks Butterfly for sponsoring the balls used in the tournament.

Sam Nusinow, Winner of 70-74
Men's Singles

John Murray, age 92

Ohio’s oldest competitor was John Murray, who at 92, stays spry and fit with a daily regimen of Tennis and Table Tennis at a local community college. However, as the only entry in the 90-94’s and thus easily securing his first place medal, he practiced with the youngsters in the 85-89’s after their matches. Terry Williams, was allotted the same faith as the oldest women’s player and sole representative in the 80-84 group. Most groups though, were well represented with competitors. The largest groups were in the 50-54’s, 65-59’s and 70-74’s mens, which contained 9 or 10 players each and were run as a double elimination. John Monaco (50-54), Bud Henthorn (65-69), and Sam Nusinow(70-74) won their respective groups without a loss.

Dichiaro/Nusinow Winners Doubles 70-74, Dichiaro about to Serve
John Murray wearing a Gold Medal		Sherri Bernhoft, 2nd Place in 65-69 Womens

RESULTS
Mens
Age Group	First	Second	Third
50-54	John Monaco	Chung Hong	George Moses II
55-59	Larry Hawkins	Charles Peterson	Mark Slavick
60-64	David Cook	Jimmy Taylor
65-69	Bud Henthorn	Billie Herren	Jack Scott
70-74	Sam Nusinow	John Dichiaro	Al Fish
75-79	Neil Myers	Mark Shapiro	Sid Stansel
80-84	Joe Jenkins	Ron Parsons	Vernon Weingart
85-89	Robert Henry	Hershel Self
90-94	John Murray

Womens
Age Group	First	Second	Third
60-64	Linda Clay	Dee Cook
65-69	JoAnne Tressler	Sherri Bernhoft	Sharon Moening
70-74	Anne Fish	Jan Stansel	Waltraud Putz
80-84	Terry Williams

Mens Doubles
Age Group	First	Second	Third
50-54	Hong/Monaco	Arcaro/Wolff	Moler/Moses
55-59	Hawkins/Peterson
60-64	Cook/Lawrence
65-69	Herren/Scott	Maas/Moyer
70-74	Dichiaro/Nusinow	Downs/Stansel	Beggin/Myers
75-79	Dorner/Mapes
80-84	Jenkins/Thaxton	Krumins/Weingart
85-89	Henry/Self

Women's Doubles
Age Group	First	Second	Third
60-64	Clay/Williams	Cook/Moening
65-69	Bernhoft/Tressler
70-74	Fish/Putz

Mixed Doubles
Age Group	First	Second	Third
60-64	Taylor J./Tressler	Cook/Cook	Beggin/Clay
65-69	Bernhoft/Takas	Lawrence/Moening
70-74	Fish/Fish	Gross/Gross	Stansel/Stansel
80-84	Henry/Williams

Akron Table Tennis Club ends 40 years of play at Patterson Park on December 1st 2007

After roughly 40 years of nearly continuous Table Tennis, the Akron Table Tennis Club has ceased it's weekly Tuesday night play at Patterson Park as of Dec 1st 2007. Players previously active at Patterson Park have recently started new clubs in Akron in larger facilities allowing more tables and playing nights for local players than were possible at Patterson Park. Thanks to Rudy and the staff at Patterson Park and the Akron Recreation Bureau for supporting and hosting our club all these years and to Don Bassette, and the previous club managers, Vernon Weingart, Don Story, Joe Helfand and Ken Fenstermakher who kept the club going in recent years since club founder Dave Strang moved to Connecticut. More club history and photos are linked at the ATTC homepage.

. Area players now have two larger Gymnasiums hosting 4 playing sessions per week, these being the University of Akron 'blades' Table Tennis club, at the U of A Memorial Gym complex, just a couple exits down rte 8 from Patterson Park, and the EJFLC club playing at the House of THOTL church Gym on Diagonal near rte 77. See the main page (and watch here for news as available) for more information on these two exciting new clubs.

click logo for results, Primorac (above) in top gear en route to the final Photo by Gerry Chua Photography

CHECK ESPNs website and your local listings
- more TT is expected in January and MARCH 2007

October 2006
Rubber City Open returns to Akron

The Rubber City Open table tennis tournament was held Sat, Oct. 14 ,2006 at Family Life Center at The House Of The Lord.
The winner of the Open Division was Sampson Dubina, The top-rated player in Ohio.
Sampson defeated the former U.S. Men’s National Champion, Danny Seemiller in a thrilling seventh game 11 to 9.
A total of 64 players participated in the tournament, several traveled as far as Michigan, Indiana, and Pittsburg. It was a great event with approx 300 spectators in attendance.(Info provided by tournament director Pastor Jimmy Taylor)

May 2006
30+ year 'reunion'' rematch'

Ok - so they actually last played each other about 5 years ago in Roy's current home club in Canton, But Dave and Roy's experience does go back to the 'beginning' for both players in the 1970's, when they were in their teen's or twenties (now in their 50's and beyond).
In fact their TT friendship goes back even before the Akron Table Tennis club's heyday in the 1980's, when they both played some of their first 'serious' table tennis in the old Eastway recreation Center's Table Tennis area at Kent State.

So after 5 (or 30) years, Dave and Roy played again, when Roy visited the club during an East coast trip to visit family - this time on Dave's new home-court in Middletown, Connecticut where he now operates that state's two largest TT clubs and coaches as his full time occupation.. .

Other former ATTC 'alumni' Bob Slapnik was President of the National Table Tennis Center in Maryland for a time (Cheng YengHua Coaches there) Lewis Bragg is head of a University based club in Virginia. Fitting for what was known as the 'Rubber City' ?

ATTC Founder Dave Strang serves to former Akron TTC regular Roy Dietz in M-T Connecticut

( For more background and photos go to the Akron TTC chub history and photo pages, linked at the attc homepage.).

Dave's TT friends from Ohio, Michigan and Colorado are all encouraged to schedule in visits to his clubs in Middletown (near Hartford) or Fairfield Connecticut near Bridgeport (also a NYC suburb) during East coast travels. Players range from unrated to over 2300 and 12 to over 70 years old. E-mail Dave with any questions like nearby tournaments and airports, where to stay etc. And don't worry about playing time. The Club's have 12 and 8 tables respectively. Robot's, coaching and equipment are available too. Check out the links to the CT. TTA at the ATTC homepage.

SEE WORLD-CLASS Table Tennis on ESPN2
Check ESPN2 for TV listings for rebroadcasts of 2005 'Killerspin' events and
this Spring - for broadcasts of the Killerspin 'Arnold' event held in Columbus.

Congratulations to Akron area players Vern Weingart and John Shimko for representing Ohio
in the 2005 National Senior Games in Pittsburgh. in their age divisions.

John finished 5th in the 8 player Men's 75+ singles, having the misfortune of drawing eventual silver medalist, .Arthur Lekousi (ME) for his first round match.

Don B. informs me that the club is going strong with good turnouts this winter and decent spring attendance. Please invite your friends to the club and refer them to www.RealTableTennis.com

Club manager Don B. informs me that attendance this summer
has been better than expected with 8-10 players some Tuesday nights.

I've also answered a number of e-mails recently from new players inquiring
about the club after seeing the webpage
There is some possibility of a schedule change in the fall,
maybe in October, which might not be listed here immediately.
--------------------------
Update*** Apr 8th 2004******
-------------------------
Starting April'04 - we're resuming the old schedule- Tuesday night play.
*************************************************************************
If this webpage hasn't been updated recently,

you are encouraged to confirm the current playing schedule before attending
the club especially during the summer, near holidays and after Labor day when the playing
night may change. Call the Patterson phone number listed on the
homepage .

Continued Akron TTC play, particularly after May 30th and during the summer,
will depend on the interest shown (based on club attendance)
and the availability and schedule of other quality playing sites nearby.

It's also possible that play might be switched to Wednesday nights
in the spring or fall to compliment Monday, Tuesday,
Thursday and Friday night play in nearby cities.

I'll try to update this page when/if this happens - but encourage you to call
ahead if you drive a distance after April.

Winter 2003/2004
********************
We've welcomed a number of new players and had good attendance
(occasionally too good -thanks for your patience)
during this winter in spite of a temporary schedule change.

Also ATTC is again affiliated, and listed under Ohio clubs at
the USATT website usatt.org.

Thanks to Vernon and Don and the many friendly regulars who
make new players feel welcome at ATTC.

Thanks also to Rudy and the Patterson Park staff for help in
continuing the club in spite of scheduling and storage space
conflicts which might otherwise have ended the club's
long history.

nov 23rd- 2003
Personal news from Dave:
For any who didn't hear previously,
I'm sad to report the passing of my dear mom, Bettie Strang,
late on Sunday evening November 23rd at the Woodlands Nursing home in Ravenna.
An introduction and link to My brother's beautiful eulogy spoken
at her memorial service in December is now posted and linked at:
"Eulogy:'Mom' - Bettie Strang 1923-2003:

--------------------------
Update*** Nov 8th 2003******
-------------------------

Starting on Nov 11th (2003) we will switch our play to
MONDAY nights from 7-10pm.

most players consulted preferred this over the other option of Wednesdays
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD as this may be a better night for quests who play at other NE Ohio clubs
Thanks for your support over the years and please keep in touch.

(ATTC founder)
David Strang
nettadave(remove this)@yahoo.com